Touch-Up Painting System and Method

ABSTRACT

Improved touch-up painting systems and methods may allow for economical storage of a relatively small quantity of paint that may be used to perform touch-up painting. Such systems and methods may allow paint to be stored in a container, and the container storing the paint may then be used to apply paint to touch-up a marred surface or to outline a perimeter portion of a surface with paint. Paint may flow from the container through an aperture in a cap secured to the container, and the paint may be received through a brush or sponge assembly affixed to the cap. The brush/sponge assembly may be used to apply the paint while a user grasps or holds the container.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/370,356, entitled “TOUCH-UP PAINTING SYSTEM AND METHOD,” filed on Aug. 3, 2010, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to painting systems and applications, and more particularly to systems and methods for containing paint, painting specific areas of a surface, and creating precise painted edges.

BACKGROUND

There are many different ways to apply paint to a surface with paint. For example, painting a wall of a home may be done using a paint brush, a paint roller, or a paint sprayer. Paint comes in a variety of colors and may be purchased in gallon-sized cans. After a surface is painted, normal use may cause certain areas of the surface to become marred. If the original paint used on the wall has been discarded, additional matching paint may need to be purchased. Purchasing paint in a gallon-sized can for a small, touch-up paint job may result in wasting large quantities of paint. Further, if the original paint was saved in a gallon-sized can, a user would have to open that can, stir to mix the paint, pour the paint into a tray, and use a brush to apply paint to a marred surface, thereby involving additional effort and various components that would need to be cleaned after painting the marred surface.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a touch-up painting system including at least one container sized to be held in a human hand and containing a quantity of paint, a cap coupled to the at least one container and defining an aperture, and at least one paint applicator coupled to the cap, wherein paint flows from the at least one container through the cap and into the at least one paint applicator to apply touch-up paint to a surface. The system also may include a housing, wherein the at least one container, the cap, and the at least one paint applicator may be secured when the system is not in use. The system may further include at least one funnel to transfer the quantity of paint into the at least one container. The system may include a storage cap coupled to the neck of the at least one container when the system is not in use.

The at least one paint applicator may be a brush assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and the brush assembly may include a stiffener/plate, a brush, a porous layer and/or a bristle layer, wherein the aperture of the cap may extend through the stiffener/plate of the brush assembly. The stiffener/plate may have at least one straight edge that extends beyond the brush for certain trim painting. The brush assembly may form an angle with the container through an angular extension positioned between the cap and the brush. The at least one paint applicator also may be a sponge assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a method of applying paint to a surface. Such a method may include securing a paint application assembly to a container holding a quantity of paint, the paint application assembly comprising a cap portion secured to a neck portion of the container, the cap portion defining an aperture. The method further may include holding the container, tipping the container to allow paint to flow through the first aperture to the paint application assembly, and dispensing paint from the paint application assembly onto the surface. The method also may include removing a storage cap from the container prior to securing the paint application assembly to the container. The method may further include inserting a funnel into the neck portion of the container and pouring paint into the container through the funnel.

The paint application assembly utilized in this method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be a brush assembly and/or a sponge assembly. The brush assembly may include a porous layer, a stiffener/plate, and/or a brush, and the aperture of the cap portion may extend through the stiffener/plate. The method may include compressing the porous layer during the dispensing step.

A touch-up painting system according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one container formed to be held in a human hand and to house a quantity of paint, at least one brush assembly to be coupled to the at least one container through a cap portion, at least one sponge assembly to be coupled to the at least one container through the cap portion, and at least one funnel to be inserted into a neck portion of the at least one container to dispense the quantity of paint into the at least one container. The system also may include a housing wherein the at least one container, the at least one brush assembly, the at least one sponge assembly, and the at least one funnel may be secured when the system is not in use. The system may further include at least one storage cap secured to a neck portion of the least one container when the system is not in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a container/brush assembly of a touch-up painting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A depicts an embodiment of a brush assembly shown in FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B depicts an alternate embodiment of a brush assembly according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2C depicts an alternate embodiment of a brush assembly according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a storage cap according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for performing touch-up painting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 depicts a touch-up painting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure generally provides improved touch-up painting systems and methods for economically storing a relatively small quantity of paint that may be used to perform touch-up painting. Systems and methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure may allow paint to be stored in a container, and the container storing the paint may then be used to apply paint to touch-up a marred surface or to outline a perimeter portion of a surface with paint. Paint may flow from the container through an aperture in a cap secured to the container, and the paint may be received through a brush or sponge assembly affixed to the cap. The brush/sponge assembly may be used to apply the paint while a user grasps or holds the container.

FIG. 1 depicts container/brush assembly 10 of a touch-up painting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Container/brush assembly 10 may include brush assembly 12 and container 14. Container 14 may be sized to contain a relatively small quantity of paint. For example, container 14 may be suitable for touch-up painting because it may contain a fraction of the paint that is typically contained in a gallon-sized paint can. For example, container 14 may hold approximately 3-20 ounces of paint. However, it should be appreciated that container 14 may be sized to contain any quantity of paint as long as a user may relatively comfortably handle container 14 when applying the paint to a surface. Container 14 may include neck 16. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, an exterior surface of neck 16 may include threads. The threads may receive corresponding threads of cap 30 when cap 30 is twisted and screwed on the threads of neck 16. In an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure, cap 30 may be secured to neck 16 using a snap.

Container 14 may be generally cylindrical in shape and may be sized to be grasped and held comfortably by a human hand. In this manner, container 14 may be used as a handle when a user is applying the paint contained in container 14 to a desired surface. Container/brush assembly 10 may be more often used for touch-up painting because container 14 may hold a relatively small quantity of paint relative to that amount included in a gallon-sized can, for example. Container 14 may include a label or printed surface for the user to identify the corresponding room(s) where paint may be applied.

Container 14 may be constructed from any suitable material, such as plastic or metal. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, container 14 may be formed by a blow-molding operation that forms any suitable type of synthetic material, such as plastic. Neck 16 may receive a funnel (such as funnel 501 a, 501 b or 501 c as depicted in FIG. 5) that may be used to allow paint to be poured more easily and with less mess into container 14. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a funnel sized to be received through neck 16 of container 14 may be used in more than one touch-up painting system.

FIG. 2A illustrates brush assembly 12 of FIG. 1. Brush assembly 12 may include cap 30 and brush 35, as well as porous layer 36 and/or bristles 38. Cap 30 may have threads to allow cap 30 to be secured to neck 16 of container 14. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, cap 30 may snap onto neck 16. Cap 30 may be made from the same or different material as container 14. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, bristles 38 of brush 35, if included in a brush assembly, may be shaped and positioned to allow application of a smoother coat of paint.

Brush assembly 12 may include stiffener/plate 34. Stiffener/plate 34 may be secured to cap 30 and brush 35 using any suitable adhering technique, or stiffener/plate 34 and cap 30 may be formed as a single unit. For example, in certain embodiments of the present disclosure, cap 30 and stiffener/plate 34 may be formed as a single continuous part using any suitable synthetic material, such as plastic. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, stiffener/plate 34 may be constructed using corrugated stiffener or plastic with ribs.

Stiffener/plate 34 may include four perimeter straight edges. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, one, some, or all of the straight edges may extend beyond brush 35. For example, FIG. 2B shows the two longer edges of stiffener/plate 33 extended beyond the boundary of the remainder of brush assembly 13. Including such straight edges may make creating painted straight edges easier and more precise. Brush assembly 13 may be similar to brush assembly 12 with the exception of extended stiffener/plate 33. Stiffener/plate 34 may be glued to cap 30 in certain embodiments of the present disclosure, or it may be constructed as a single unit. Aperture 32 may be defined by a top portion of cap 30 and may extend through stiffener 34. Aperture 32 extended through cap 30 and stiffener/plate 34 may allow paint to be received from container 14 and applied by brush assembly 35.

FIG. 2C illustrates an embodiment of brush assembly 15 where, when assembled with container 14, brush assembly 15 forms an angle with container 14. Brush assembly 15 may form any suitable angle with container 14. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, there may be at least a forty-five degree angle between brush 35 and container 14. The angle may be created by angular extension 37 positioned between cap 30 and brush 35. Angular extension 37 may be formed from the same material as cap 30, and in some embodiments of the present disclosure, cap 30, angular extension 37, and stiffener/plate 34 may be formed as a single continuous part using any suitable synthetic material, such as plastic. In operation, brush assembly 15 in conjunction with container 14 may be tipped or inverted such that gravity may cause the paint within container 14 to flow through aperture 32 (not shown in FIG. 2C) and be received by brush 35. Once received by brush 35, paint may be applied to a desired surface using brush 35.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, brush 35 may include porous layer 36. Porous layer 36 may be a foam-type material. The pores of porous layer 36 may allow the paint to pass from container 14 to bristles 38, if included in the brush assembly. In operation, porous material 36 may compress when pressure is applied to brush 35 during a painting operation according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Stiffener/plate 34 may prevent brush 35 from deforming around cap 30, thereby allowing brush 35 to remain generally flat for applying paint to a particular area of the surface.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of storage cap 40 according to the present disclosure. Storage cap 40 may be similar to cap 30. For example, storage cap 40 may secure to neck 16 in a manner similar to cap 30. It should be appreciated that storage cap 40 may include threads that may be received by the threads of neck 16. Storage cap 40 may include continuous upper portion 42 to allow paint to be sealed in container 14.

Once paint has been introduced into container 14, storage cap 40 may be secured to neck 16 (as depicted in FIG. 1). This may allow paint in container 14 to be stored for future use. In the event of future use of paint housed in container 14, storage cap 40 may be removed from neck 16 of container 14. After removing storage cap 40, brush assembly 12 or a sponge assembly may be secured to container 14 to allow the user to use container/brush assembly 10 or a container/sponge assembly to paint a desired surface. After painting is complete, brush assembly 12 or a sponge assembly may be removed from container 14, and storage cap 40 may be re-secured to neck 16. Any paint remaining in container 14 that was not used for touch-up painting may be stored in the event that more touch-up painting may be desired in the future.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for performing touch-up painting of a marred surface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In step 50, paint may be poured into container 14. The paint may be assisted into container 14 using a funnel (such as funnel 501 a, 501 b, or 501 c depicted in FIG. 5) inserted in or otherwise attached to neck 16. Once a funnel has been affixed to container 14, paint may be poured through the funnel into container 14. It should be appreciated that step 50 may be performed after a surface has already been completely painted using conventional means. In this manner, the same color and type of paint used when painting through conventional means may be poured into container 14 and stored for future application. It should be appreciated that storing paint in container 14 may be easier than storing paint in a conventional gallon-sized paint can.

In step 52 depicted in FIG. 4, storage cap 40 may be attached to container 14 in order to close or seal the container. Once storage cap 40 has been secured to neck 16 of container 14, the paint may be ready for storage. In addition, container 14 may be marked or otherwise labeled to identify a particular room or surface where the paint was used. Such a label may also identify the color, the type of paint used, and the date that the original paint was applied, such as through conventional means. During storage, if scuff marks or other undesirable scratches, marks, and the like appear on the painted surface, paint stored in container 14 may then be used to touch-up a specific portion of the surface quickly, with no mess as compared to using conventional means.

When touch-up painting is to be performed, storage cap 40 may be removed from container 14 in step 54 depicted in FIG. 4. In step 56, a brush/sponge assembly may be secured to neck 16 of container 14. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the internal threads of cap 30 may be mated with the external threads of neck 16, and a brush (such as brush 504 depicted in FIG. 5) or a sponge (such as sponge 505 depicted in FIG. 5) may, for example, be twisted on to neck 16 until it is secure.

Once a brush/sponge assembly has been securely affixed to container 14, container 14 may be tipped to allow paint to flow to the brush or sponge in step 58. Tipping or inverting container 14 may allow gravity to act on the paint thereby causing it to flow. The paint may flow through aperture 32 defined by cap 30 and stiffener/plate 34. The paint may then flow through to the brush/sponge assembly.

Once the paint flows to the brush/sponge assembly affixed or secured to container 14, paint may be applied to the desired surface in step 60. A user may grasp and hold container 14 and apply the paint to the surface using the brush/sponge assembly. If there is still paint remaining in container 14 after paint has been applied to the desired surface, the brush/sponge assembly may be detached from container 14, and storage cap 40 may be re-secured to container 14 thereby allowing for continued storage of the remaining paint. The container as well as the brush/sponge assembly may be washed out to eliminate excess paint so that a clean brush or sponge may be reused in a future painting application. Alternatively, the touch-up painting system or portions thereof may be discarded or replaced if the user chooses.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be appreciated that multiple containers and brush/sponge assemblies may be employed such that each container and brush/sponge assembly may be used to store and apply a different color of paint. It should be appreciated that some of the steps illustrated in FIG. 4 may be combined, modified, or deleted where appropriate, and additional steps may also be added to the flow diagram without departing from the objects of the present disclosure. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order without departing from the objects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts system 500 for performing touch-up painting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. System 500 may include at least one funnel (such as funnels 501 a, 501 b, and/or 501 c) that may be constructed from a material, such as cardboard or plastic, that is sturdy enough to be able to withstand the transfer of paint. System 500 also may include at least one container 502 a, 502 b, and/or 502 c. Each of containers 502 a, 502 b, and 502 c may be designated to hold a certain color or type of paint, and/or paint for a particular room in a structure, for example. Funnels 501 a, 501 b, and/or 501 c may be inserted into one of containers 502 a, 502 b, and/or 502 c to transfer paint into these containers. Additionally or alternatively, brush 504 or sponge 505 may be secured to one of containers 502 a, 502 b, and/or 502 c to apply paint to a surface. It should be appreciated that brush 504 and/or sponge 505 may be designed to be used with a particular color or type of paint, and/or paint for a particular room in a structure, for example. However, it should be appreciated that brush 504 and sponge 505 may be rinsed after being used as to permit re-use of brush 504 or sponge 505 in future painting applications. Each of the components of system 500 may be placed into housing 503 that is large enough to hold at least three funnels (such as 501 a, 501 b, 501 c), at least three containers (such as 502 a, 502 b, 502 c), and at least three brushes/sponges (such as brush 504 or sponge 505) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. However, the size of housing 503 may be increased or decreased depending on the number of components to be contained within housing 503 without departing from the objects of the present disclosure

It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, and should be appreciated to mean “and/or.” The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. 

1. A touch-up painting system, the system comprising: at least one container sized to be held in a human hand and containing a quantity of paint; a cap coupled to the at least one container and defining an aperture; and at least one paint applicator coupled to the cap, wherein paint flows from the at least one container through the cap and into the at least one paint applicator to apply touch-up paint to a surface.
 2. The touch-up painting system of claim 1, the system further comprising: a housing, wherein the at least one container, the cap, and the at least one paint applicator are secured or stored when the system is not in use.
 3. The touch-up painting system of claim 1, the system further comprising: at least one funnel to transfer the quantity of paint into the at least one container.
 4. The touch-up painting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one paint applicator is a brush assembly.
 5. The touch-up painting system of claim 4, the brush assembly comprising: a stiffener, a porous layer, and a brush, wherein the aperture of the cap extends through the stiffener of the brush assembly.
 6. The touch-up painting system of claim 5, the stiffener having at least one straight edge that extends beyond the brush.
 7. The touch-up painting system of claim 5, wherein the brush assembly forms an angle with the container through an angular extension positioned between the cap and the brush.
 8. The touch-up painting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one paint applicator is a sponge assembly.
 9. The touch-up painting system of claim 1, the system further comprising: a storage cap coupled to the neck of the at least one container when the system is not in use.
 10. A method of applying paint to a surface, the method comprising: securing a paint application assembly to a container holding a quantity of paint, the paint application assembly comprising a cap portion secured to a neck portion of the container, the cap portion defining an aperture; holding the container; tipping the container to allow paint to flow through the first aperture to the paint application assembly; and dispensing paint from the paint application assembly onto the surface.
 11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising: removing a storage cap from the container prior to securing the paint application assembly to the container.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the paint application assembly is a brush assembly.
 13. The method of claim 12, the brush assembly comprising: a porous layer, a stiffener, and a brush.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the aperture of the cap portion extends through the stiffener.
 15. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising: compressing the porous layer during the dispensing step.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein the paint application assembly is a sponge assembly.
 17. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising: inserting a funnel into the neck portion of the container; and pouring paint into the container through the funnel.
 18. A touch-up painting system, the system comprising: at least one container formed to be held in a human hand and to house a quantity of paint; at least one brush assembly to be coupled to the at least one container through a cap portion; at least one sponge assembly to be coupled to the at least one container through the cap portion; and at least one funnel to be inserted into a neck portion of the at least one container to dispense the quantity of paint into the at least one container.
 19. The touch-up painting system of claim 18, the system further comprising: a housing wherein the at least one container, the at least one brush assembly, the at least one sponge assembly, and the at least one funnel are secured when the system is not in use.
 20. The touch-up painting system of claim 18, the system further comprising: at least one storage cap secured to a neck portion of the least one container when the system is not in use. 